I. Council Action Requested.
Title
To receive public comment and approve, for the November 3, 2026 referendum vote, questions on the proposed amendments to Article V and Article VIII of the Town Charter, changing the Annual Town Meeting’s voting on the annual municipal budget from an open town meeting to a secret ballot referendum and increasing the amount of supplemental appropriations that require Town Meeting approval, both as are further explained below.
QUESTION 1: Shall the Town approve the charter amendment summarized below, to be effective January 1, 2027?
Summary of Amendment:
• Change the method of Town Meeting’s voting on the annual budget from an open town meeting to a secret ballot referendum;
• Provide for a special open Town Meeting to be held to consider portions of the annual budget rejected at the secret ballot referendum;
• Authorize the Town Council to choose how to present the budget to voters for approval; and
• Adjust the timeline for the Town Manager to prepare and submit the proposed annual budget to the Town Council for review, to accommodate use of the secret ballot referendum process.
QUESTION 2. Shall the Town approve the charter amendment reprinted below, to be effective immediately upon adoption?
Section 2. When action by Town Meeting required.
The annual budget, as provided in Article V and in accordance with Section 5 of this Article; any appropriation of $500,000 or more in addition to or supplementary to the annual budget appropriation; the issuance of bonds or notes, except notes in anticipation of taxes to be paid within the fiscal year in which issued; shall become effective only after adoption at a Town Meeting by a majority vote of those present and voting. The Town Meeting shall not increase the amount of any appropriation recommended by the Council and shall not increase the amount of any bond issue above the amount recommended by the Council.
Body
II. Basis for Council Action.
Council approval of this item is required because;
a. 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2104(1) provides that “The municipal officers may determine that amendments to the municipal charter should be considered and, by order, provide for notice and hearing on them,” and
b. 30-A M.R.S.A § 2104(1) provides that “Within 7 days after the hearing, the municipal officers may order the proposed amendment to be placed on a ballot at the next regular municipal election held at least 30 days after the order is passed,” and
c. 30-A M.R.S.A. § 2104(6) provides that “When the municipal officers determine that it is not practical to print the proposed amendment on the ballot and that a summary would not misrepresent the subject matter of the proposed amendment, the municipal officers shall include in their order a summary of the proposed amendment.”
III. Issue Summary.
Please see the attachments. In particular the attachments pertaining to Question 2, which shows both the strike through deletions and underlined additions that could not translate to the agenda language legibly.